In January, I approached the Berkley Board of Selectmen and explained to them the effects of the loss of our pollinators, specifically citing the loss of the bees, since one out of every three bites of food on your table is pollinated by bees.

In January, I approached the Berkley Board of Selectmen and explained to them the effects of the loss of our pollinators, specifically citing the loss of the bees, since one out of every three bites of food on your table is pollinated by bees.

As a beekeeper, I have experienced first-hand the loss of my hives. As a Bristol County Beekeepers Association member, I have heard the stories of so many losses by other beekeepers.

I also recognized, after talking to many people, that a lot of the public is not aware of this problem and I was astounded by their lack of knowledge on this subject, and I became concerned. I realized that the losses of our pollinators we were facing was so large that it would take a miracle to fix it.

So I started a committee called “Bee Informed.” Our mission is to bring awareness of the loss of our pollinators to the general public, and to do this we are starting with our own towns and reaching out to our neighbors, friends, families, and most importantly the farmers and cranberry growers.

We are asking them to help save our pollinators by making some changes in their lifestyles by planting for the pollinators so they have food to sustain them through every season and to become aware of the use of pesticides.

Our campaign has taken off in leaps and bounds. One of our initiatives is the “Saving Our Pollinators” forum that we are holding on Friday, April 25, at Bristol County Agricultural High School from 7 to 9 p.m.

We have multiple speakers, and are giving away a bee mix of wildflower seeds that is for all pollinators and are asking that everyone plant at least a 10-to-20-square-foot wildflower garden in their own yards.

Our event is free and we have extended our invitation to our local and state politicians in the hope that they will come to realize that waiting is not an option in finding a solution to this problem.

I have also approached our Berkley selectmen and asked for their help. My request was for the planting of wildflower seeds on town land that was not being used.

I was not sure how that would go, but after explaining the dire situation we are facing, they stood up and took notice of what I was asking. They have agreed to let us plant wildflowers on the town land not being used, and the town assessor has given me the maps to look through to see where we might plant.

This is a great start. I am thrilled that Berkley can be used as an example to all the surrounding towns and I am very grateful that they have recognized the problem and are willing to let us do this.

Page 2 of 2 - Every citizen in our town will benefit from this, especially our farmers and cranberry growers. This is a win-win situation and I hope it takes off and becomes contagious. And if we can throw in planting on the solar farm lands, it would be beneficial to them also in that they wouldn’t have to mow!

The Bee Informed Committee is part of the Bristol County Beekeepers Association. We have also started our own website for the purpose of public awareness by providing them with links, discussions, and various informative articles that they can gain knowledge on the loss of our pollinators.